POLAROID

Chapter Six - Coloured Lenses

"Jun-Seo, hurry up, we're late!" Rin calls up the stairs. "Coming!" The younger responds as he hurriedly packs his backpack. Rushing to leave the room, his eyes fall upon the locket he'd discovered a few days ago resting on his desk. As he picks it up, memories flood back of the peculiar reaction Ha-Jun displayed upon seeing it.

Ha-Jun remained silent during the entire bus ride back to Seoul, his mind seeming elsewhere. He didn't even say goodbye when they got back to the city.

"Jun-ah, come on!" Rin calls again. "Uh, y-yeah," Jun-Seo replies. With a slight stumble, he picks up the locket and hastily tucks it into his pocket. As he comes down the stairs, Jun-Seo mumbles a quiet apology under his breath, his eyes briefly meeting Rin's and Naeun's before they leave the house together.

Throughout the entire ride, Naeun can't help but cast concerned looks back at Jun-Seo. She had noticed that the younger had been acting strangely ever since he went out with Ha-Jun over the weekend. Despite her attempts to get him to open up about how the day went, Jun-Seo refused to reveal any details and instead retreated to his room for the remainder of the evening. Naeun's worry only grew as she pondered what could have happened between Jun-Seo and Ha-Jun.

Upon arriving at school, Naeun tries to initiate a conversation with Jun-Seo; however, the latter dismisses her and proceeds to go off in a different direction. She gazes after him with worry as he walks away.

Jun-Seo makes his way towards the courtyard, a routine he has been following every day in hopes of finding Ha-Jun there. However, after the weekend, Ha-Jun has been absent from school for most of the week, causing Jun-Seo to worry and question if he is somehow responsible for it. Seeking solace, Jun-Seo settles under the shade of the Oak tree and retrieves his phone. He scrolls through his contacts until he locates Ha-Jun's number. Although Ha-Jun had shared it with him during their weekend outing, Jun-Seo has been hesitant to reach out, unsure of what to say.

Jun-Seo sighs deeply as he puts away his phone and puts on his headphones. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the locket, his eyes fixed on the worn-out trinket. There's nothing significant about it, it's just jewellery, right?

Later that day, Jun-Seo is alone in an empty photography classroom, contemplating his first assignment for the photography course. After impressing the program with his previous photos, he now faces the challenge of his latest task which is approaching strangers to ask for a photograph and giving a short presentation on the experience. Jun-Seo can't think of a more daunting task he could've been given.

With a sense of frustration, he lets out a sigh and decides to take a break for now. Gathering his backpack and assignment sheet in hand, he leaves the room. As the brunette prepares to step outside for some fresh air, he happens to pass by the dance practice rooms. In one of the rooms, he notices Dae-Seong engrossed in stretching exercises, all by himself.

Jun-Seo thinks to himself before walking into the room. Maybe Dae-Seong could be his first subject, he's nice and easy to talk to. "D-Dae Hyung?"

Before walking into the room, Jun-Seo silently considers asking the older to be his first photo subject. Given his friendly nature and approachability, he might be okay with it. "D-Dae Hyung?" He calls out getting the blonde's attention.

Dae-Seong greets the younger with his usual kind smile. "Hey, Jun-Seo, what're you doing here?"

"Uh..." Jun-Seo hesitates momentarily, glancing at his assignment sheet and then shifting his gaze back to Dae-Seong. "C-Can I...t-take a picture of you?"

"Oh, what for?" Dae-Seong asks. "Um, i-it's for an assignment, that okay?" Jun-Seo replies.

"Mmm...okay," Dae-Seong agrees.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, as long as you don't do anything creepy with the pictures later," Dae-Seong teases him. "Wha- I, n-n-no! I wouldn't!" Jun-Seo stutters, his cheeks turning a bright red at the suggestion.

Dae-Seong found himself unable to suppress his laughter at the younger's reaction. "I'm just kidding, make me look good though, okay?"

Jun-Seo gives a quick nod before reaching for his camera. He adjusts the settings and captures a series of shots, the shutter's click filling the air. Once satisfied, he turns the camera around to show Dae-Seong the images.

Dae-Seong's eyes widen in slight awe. "Wow, these are almost professional, you've really got an eye for this," he praises him.

Jun-Seo's cheeks were tinged with a light blush as he mutters a small 'thanks'. "Um, hyung, h-have you heard from H-Ha-Jun hyung?" He asks, his voice hesitant.

Dae-Seong shakes his head slightly in response. "Not really. I texted him a few times today, but he hasn't replied," he says.

Jun-Seo's posture subtly shifts, a fleeting expression of concern flickering in his eyes as he absently fiddles with the strap of his camera. Observing the hint of despondence on the younger's face, Dae-Seong offers a warm smile. "You're worried about him, aren't you?" He remarks softly.

Jun-Seo's shoulders sag slightly as he raises them in a subtle shrug, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "M-Maybe, I think it's my f-fault," he mutters.

"Why would you think that?"

"I-I don't know, a-after we hung out last week he got all w-weird,"

"Weird how?"

"W-Well, I found this while we w-were out," Jun-Seo pulls out the locket from his bag. "When I sh-showed it to him, he turned p-pale and t-t-tense, as if he had seen a g-ghost."

Upon seeing the locket, a moment of recognition flashes across Dae-Seong's face which Jun-Seo catches.

"What?" Jun-Seo asks with a furrowed brow. Dae-Seong hesitates momentarily before responding, choosing his words carefully. "Um, it's a little complicated and not really my place to say but you shouldn't worry, Ha-Jun has these moments and it's always best to let him get through it on his own time," Dae-Seong explains vaguely.

Jun-Seo nodded slowly in response, his curiosity piqued by Dae-Seong's enigmatic description of the situation as "complicated." He's aware that Ha-Jun can be rather odd at times, but it seems like there's more to the older than he thought.

-

Sejin reaches the top of the stairs his attention turning in the direction of Ha-Jun's room. Upon reaching the door, he extends his hand to knock, but a brief moment of uncertainty crosses his face. With a slight furrow of his brow, he lightly taps on the door, calling out, "Ha-Jun-ah, it's me...can I come in?" Met with silence, he cautiously pushes the door ajar, navigating his way through the dimly lit room until he locates Ha-Jun's bed. There he finds the younger man, lying motionless with a vacant gaze, dark circles stark beneath his eyes, his countenance unreadable. Wrapped tightly in the covers like a protective shield, Ha-Jun appears lost in a world of his own, detached from the reality around him.

Sejin sits down next to the bed, crossing his legs. An air of stillness envelops the room as the two brothers remain in silence. With a tender gesture, Sejin extends his hand towards the bed, carefully guiding it until it comes to rest on Ha-Jun's head. A sombre expression appears on Sejin's features as he begins to gently stroke his brother's head, a silent display of affection and reassurance amid unspoken emotions.